Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Role in Narcotics Trafficking Ring

U.S. Attorney’s Office
December 08, 2011

District of Connecticut(203) 821-3700

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RALPH CORA, also known as “Petey” and “Pito,” 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 75 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a narcotics trafficking operation.

This matter stems from “Operation Slim Fast,” a joint law enforcement investigation that focused on two drug trafficking organizations, one that operated out of Bridgeport and one that operated out of Bridgeport, Puerto Rico, and Springfield, Massachusetts. As a result of the investigation, 19 individuals have been charged in federal court with various narcotics and firearms related offenses, and law enforcement officers seized approximately four kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of crack cocaine, a quantity of heroin, an SKS assault rifle, five handguns and more than $150,000 in cash.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2010, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force Task Force conducted an investigation of narcotics trafficking activity in and around the Marina Village Housing Complex in Bridgeport that focused primarily on the Marina Village Bloods, a violent narcotics trafficking organization. CORA was affiliated with the Marina Village Bloods, and he sold between 196 and 280 grams of crack cocaine during the course of the investigation.

On August 15, 2011, CORA pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram of more of heroin and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force—which is composed of personnel from the FBI, the Bridgeport, Norwalk and Trumbull Police Departments—with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and Hartford, Stratford and Stamford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracy Dayton, Jonathan Freimann and Doug Morabito.